Brave
by Earendilion
Summary: An series of oneshots concerning Elrond and Elros with the theme 'brave.'


**A/N** This will be an ongoing series of ficlets, concerning Elrond, Elros, or both. Most will take place in _The Silmarillion_, but some may overflow to the Trilogy. Again, the them will be 'brave.' I welcome reviews, criticisms, and prompts, as always.

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"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea?"

"Of course it is. You want to get it back, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but I am sure there is a better way to do this."

"Then you must stop worrying!"

"I am not worrying. I simply think we – _you_ – are being foolish."

"Sometimes I think you are too wise for your own good."

"Nay, I simply have better survival instincts than you."

"You think Maglor will find out."

"_Of course_ he will find out. Do you disagree?"

Elros pause in the middle of his work, wrinkling his brow thoughtfully. "I do not think he will find out if we are quick and quiet."

Elrond made an exasperated noise in his throat. "If I had a coin for every time I heard you say that-"

"Yes, yes, you would be rich," Elros said hastily. "But please cooperate, just this once."

"I _always _cooperate. And we are _always_ found out."

"Not in the act," Elros pointed out, and Elrond snorted.

"As though it makes a difference."

"At least we will succeed."

The younger twin glanced uncertainly at Elros's handiwork. "Somehow, I think we may have bitten off more than we can chew this time."

"Nonsense," Elros chided, holding up the mess of ropes and knots. "In any case, we must learn through trial and error, as Maglor says, must we not? So if this does not work, if such a thing can be fathomed-"

"It can."

"Your skepticism cuts me to the quick. If it does not work, we will know how to do it next time."

"_Next time?_ There will not be a next time. Next time, we will use _normal_ parchment, or cloth, as I originally suggested, to make our kite, not Maglor's _maps._ _And_," he continued, talking over his brother as the latter opened his mouth, "if it does not work, we will simply know how _not_ to do it. And it will be at my expense."

"When you gain weight, then we can switch places," Elros argued. "Now, be quick! Or he really will find out before we have even gone half way."

Elrond sighed and shook his head, but stepped into the harness his brother had made. Elros was tying off a thick, short piece of wood to the length of rope attached, and had soon thrown it over the lowest branch, which was at least twice as high up as they would be on each other's shoulders.

"You are sure it is strong enough?" Elrond asked, glancing first at the branch and then at his brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Do not give me that look!" Elros exclaimed. "Yes, I am sure. Mostly. It will be fine."

Elrond shrugged, resigned to the worst. "All right, then. Please just get it over with, so I can beat you for your stupidity later."

"I would be honored," Elros said, placing a hand over his heart. "You are ready?"

"As ready as I can be."

Elros grinned, wound his hands into the rope, and began to hoist his twin into the tree. Elrond grimaced as the rope cut and chafed his skin, but kept his gaze focused on the branch above him. Once he reached it, he would be able to climb the rest of the way, retrieve the map-kite, toss it down to Elros, and return to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Elros called up to him through teeth gritted with effort.

"Fine," Elrond called, though the increasing height was making him increasingly nervous. "Just a little further."

"Like this?"

"Almost."

"Can you reach for it?"

Elrond gripped the rope tightly and leaned to one side, stretching his arm out much farther than he was comfortable with. His fingers were still a good ways from the branch. Frowning, he leaned just a few more degrees, and Elros's harness gave way. In a whirl of ground, sky, and limbs, Elrond found himself flipped upside down and out of the harness, falling towards the ground, and jerking to a teeth-rattling halt as one of the many loops slid around his ankle and held him there. His shout, mingling with Elros's, was dying as he realized he was not falling to his death, but merely swinging vaguely in the breeze, upside down with all the blood rushing to his head.

"Elrond!" Elros called, his voice scared. "Are you-"

"I am fine, just get me down!" Elrond ordered, starting to feel a little dizzy.

Elros's face was white and sweaty as he began to slacken the rope. Seconds later, he fumbled, and the branch made creaking, snapping noises as Elrond's weight tugged at it.

"Be careful!"

"Sorry!"

But the situation had been taken out of their hands. As soon as his apology had left Elros's mouth, the branch broke completely, and Elrond tumbled to the ground, the first sickening crunch followed by a second as the branch landed on top of him.

"_Elrond!_" Elros screamed, running forward and attempting to push the branch aside. When this failed, he began to dig through the leafy debris, searching, searching….

Elrond was there, pallid and terrified with tears coursing down his face. He looked up at his brother, and his eyes were fearful and pain-filled. He was clutching his wrist, and his lower half disappeared beneath the branch. A great deal of blood was blossoming from a gash on his head.

"Go get Maglor," he said, voice shaky and thick with sobs.

Elros shook his head, equally as afraid as his twin. "No. I will not leave you. You are bleeding."

"You must get Maglor!" Elrond begged, now weeping openly. "Please, Elros!"

Elros stared at him, mind working furiously, then let the branches close over his brother and ran.

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Maglor's fingers wandered over the many volumes and scrolls. He was sure he had replaced the maps correctly. What had happened to them?

"Are you sure _you_ have the maps?" Maedhros asked from the table behind him. "You did not lend them?"

"No, no, there are none who would borrow," Maglor said in frustration.

There was a brief pause. "Your boys?"

Maglor frowned. "I do not think they would borrow them. What need have they for maps? And such detailed maps? Their studies do not appeal to them as much as I would wish."

"You forget that young boys have many… unique uses for objects we may consider beyond their years."

Maglor sighed inaudibly, his mind flitting briefly back to Ambarussa. He blinked quickly.

"I will ask them, but I am quite attuned to their mischief. I think I would know if they had taken the maps without permission."

Maedhros made a noise of assent in his throat, though his mouth twitched in rare amusement.

Maglor left the library swiftly and hurried to the private wing, calling the twins' names. They were not in their quarters. He sent a runner to the stables and gardens as he checked the kitchen, the cellar, and even, on a hopeful whim, their study room. But the runner did not find them, and neither did he.

Thoughts of maps driven from his mind, he returned to his elder brother with worry settling on his heart. The young ones knew they were obliged to tell someone if they would be traveling beyond the immediate grounds.

"So you believe they may have stolen the maps and somehow escaped?" Maedhros asked, arching one fiery eyebrow with less concern than Maglor would have appreciated.

"Damn the maps," Maglor growled. "They have explicit orders not to leave the grounds without supervision, or at least permission."

"And rightly so," Maedhros said, sighing as he stood. "I assume you wish to search for them?"

"Of course. I am simply trying to imagine where they would go."

"I will aid you, brother, now be calm," Maedhros said firmly. "Children will be children. You cannot worry so. You remember the trouble we ourselves found?"

"Vividly. I also remember that these occasions often involved brushes with death and severe scoldings from both Atar and Ammë. And Elros and Elrond are remarkably like us, though you would deny it."

"I do not deny that we have similarities in that we were all curious, bold, and young – at one point," Maedhros said haughtily as they made their way towards the stables.

Maglor's only response was an argumentative grunt, and they were soon mounting their steeds and setting out, Maedhros heading west, Maglor east.

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Elros was crying and stumbling as he ran, but he did not stop; his brother needed help. The ground didn't seem to want to move beneath him, though he struggled as hard as his body would allow. But he couldn't seem to make any progress…

A shout broke through his thoughts, and he looked around to see a red-haired rider dismounting and hurrying towards him. He turned sharply and sped towards the rider, knowing who it was and disregarding all emotions other than Elrond's need. When he finally reached him, he flung himself around Maedhros's knees, sobbing and gasping as he tried to impress upon the stern Elf the haste needed.

Maedhros knelt and took the half-elf's face in his good hand, brushing away tears, dirt, and sweaty strands of raven hair. The child was going to suffocate himself if he didn't calm down.

"Hush, young one," he ordered. "Breathe deeply. Where is your brother?"

"That… is what… I am trying… to tell you…" Elros heaved. "There was… a tree… and the kite… and the… branch… broke… he's hurt… please…"

To Maedhros's shock, Elros suddenly threw his arms around his neck as his sobs doubled, becoming harsh and erratic as his panic escalated. After the initial surprise passed, he cleared his throat and rubbed the child's back tentatively.

"Where?"

"Back there," Elros choked out, gesturing behind him. "The old oak. He is bleeding, and I cannot get him out."

Lifting the young one as he stood, Maedhros mounted again and placed Elros before him, then spurred his stallion towards the great silhouette of the oak tree indicated, now illuminated by the setting sun. When they reached it, he ordered Elros to stay back as he approached the fallen branch.

Pushing aside the smaller branches just as the older twin had done earlier, he peered down into the small cavity at Elrond's limp, pale form, the blood stark against his white face, which was turned away.

"Elrond?" he said softly, reaching down to touch the child's cheek. "Can you hear me?"

There was no response, and he knew that the half-elf was unconscious. His fingers moved to the gash, but it was no longer bleeding, though the amount of dried blood suggested otherwise. Elrond's left hand, now limp, was holding his right wrist, which had swelled alarmingly and was now purpling.

Maedhros frowned at the branch. It had landed directly on top of Elrond's waist, hips, and legs, and he could not assess the damage without moving it. And even once that was out of the way, he would not be able to tell the extent of the injury or paralysis unless Elrond was conscious. The process would require more guess work than he was comfortable with.

Deciding to start with moving the branch, he reached down once more to press two fingers to Elrond's neck. His pulse was steady.

"Fetch my canteen, Elros," he said calmly, removing his cloak and heavy leather jerkin, then pushing up his sleeves. When he knew the child's back was turned, he lifted the branch with his one hand, then slipped his other arm beneath it and dragged, setting it down several paces away.

Turning, he took the canteen from Elros and sat beside Elrond. He had just placed his hand on Elrond's forehead when he changed his mind.

"Elros, come here."

Elros approached with an air of fear and guilt, eyes on his brother. Maedhros gestured for him to sit.

"I am going to try and revive him," he said in a low voice. "You saw where the branch landed?"

Elros nodded.

"I fear paralysis," he continued mercilessly. "If not that, he may be permanently maimed. He may lose the ability to use his legs properly. His hip bones may be crushed."

Tears flowing down his cheeks afresh, Elros nodded again.

Maedhros took Elros's chin in his hand and turned his face, looking deep into the child's silver eyes, and had a sudden vision of a woman atop the crest of a high rock, framed by wild white spray, her hair and dress blowing passionately about her. Silver eyes almost identical to the ones before him now burned in defiance as she clutched her hands to her breast. The sea rushed in his ears and salt burned in his nose, and the vision passed.

"Do you love your brother?"

"Yes." The answer was a shaky whisper, but firm and decided.

"Then you must love him even more now, by being very brave for him. You are not injured. He is. You must help him by being brave for him. He is going to be frightened and in pain, but it will make it worse if you are also frightened. You must be brave, Elros. Do you understand?"

Elros gazed back at him, then frowned determinedly and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He nodded.

"Good boy," Maedhros said, cupping his cheek once, then turning to the small form before him.

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Elrond squirmed impatiently beneath his blankets, frowning at the window. The sun was up, the sky was blue, and the breeze was taunting him.

On cue, Maglor entered with a clean pair of trousers and a tunic. Elrond beamed at him and scrambled out of bed. He had quickly grown used to being dressed by another, though it had bothered him at first. He could not, of course, dress himself with the stiff brace on his wrist.

"It is good to see you so energetic," Maglor laughed as Elrond wriggled with excitement. "And I see we had no reason to worry for your legs," he added to himself as he pulled Elrond's sleeping tunic over his head.

"I am sorry I worried you, Maglor," Elrond said once he had re-emerged, grinning because he knew Maglor had not meant him to hear.

Maglor tweaked his nose, then shoved the day tunic over the mess of black hair. "It is inescapable, young one," he said.

"Do you know something," Elrond crowed, pulling the tunic on crooked with one hand, "it was the first time I have seen Elros so worried. And he tells _me_ that I worry too much."

"It is true, Elros was very concerned," Maglor agreed. "He loves you very much, doesn't he?"

Elrond nodded sagely. "But do you know something else? I think it was the first time I have seen Elros so brave."

Maglor raised his eyebrows as he held out the trousers for Elrond to step into. "Is that so?"

"Mmm hmm. Elros was afraid when he had to get stitches, and we both cried when you had to set his broken leg, do you remember? And he was very scared when I fell down the stairs. But this time, he was not afraid. He always told me that I would be alright, and that he would help me to walk again, even if you and Maedhros had to tell me I could not. When I was afraid, he was the bravest."

Maglor smiled softly. "And did that make you feel better?"

"Yes," Elrond said thoughtfully. "Maglor?"

"Yes?"

"Was Elros pretending?"

"No, Elrond, he was not," Maglor said after a moment's thought. "It is true that he was very frightened for you, and he showed it more when he was not with you. But he knew that he had to be brave to help you, and he was very brave, wasn't he?"

Elrond beamed again, and Maglor's heart lifted at the pure, innocent joy and pride there. "Yes, he was."


End file.
